TRANSFORMING... FROM THE DAYS OF LATE NIGHT PARTYING AT BARS AND STRIP CLUBS... TO A MORE FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT. TONIGHT THE FAT CITY MARKETPLACE WILL SPOTLIGHT THE REVITALIZED NEIGHBORHOOD. WDSU REPORTER CASEY FERRAND JOINS US LIVE WITH MORE. NEW ZONING LAWS WENT INTO EFFECT SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND PUT A NUMBER OF ADULT ORIENTED BUSINESSES OUT OF BUSINESS. AND WITH NEW RESTAURANTS OPENING IN THE AREA... INVESTORS WANT TO SHOWCASE THE THINGS HAPPENING HERE. ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO ...CHANGES TO ZONING LAWS IN METAIRE ... PROVOKED OUTRAGE. COUNCILWOMAN CYNTHIA LEE-SHENG PUSHED FOR STRICTER ZONING TO FLUSH OUT 'ADULT' BUSINESSES AND BARROOMS IN FAT CITY ... IN HOPES OF DRAWING NEW INVESTORS. obviously when you have strip clubs nobody really wants to locate next to a strip club and those businesses had been there for a long time but I think they deterred investment and we just weren't successful at neutralizing the area and letting the area's advantages come through. NOW SHENG SAYS THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD IN TRANSITION. it's happening a lot quicker than I thought it would. We thought this would be a 10 or 12 year plan and we're seeing it just 3 years out so it's really exciting to see THIS YEAR FOUR NEW RESTAURANTS HAVE TAKEN UP SHOP IN FAT CITY... SOME RENOVATING THOSE BUSINESSES THAT WERE PHASED OUT... INTO FAMILY FRIENDLY RESTARAUNTS... LIKE AKIRA SUSHI AND FAT CITY FRANKS. I saw the potential of what was going on and thought it would be a great location. LONGTIME FAT CITY RESIDENT AND DRAGO'S OWNER TOMMY CVITANOVICH IS SPEARHEADING EFFORTS TO DRAW A NEW CROWD TO THE AREA... WITH THE FAT CITY MARKETPLACE. i want my kids to walk here and hang around in this neighborhood like i did when i was a kid. THE MONTHLY EVENT FEATURES FOOD TRUCKS, NEARBY RESTAURANTS AND ART VENDORS. MONEY RAISED WILL HELP CONTINUE BEAUTIFICATION EFFORTS HERE. when they actually have their feet on the ground and they actually see it and enjoy it and say you know it's not that bad. we may end up having somebody that says i want to put a coffee shop in or i might want to put a donut shop in. it's just an opportunity for all the businesses that are investing in fat city to get exposure and show the people of metairie that fat city is coming back THE FAT CITY MARKETPLACE WAS HOSTED TWICE THIS SPRING AND THIS IS THE KICKOFF FOR THE FALL SEASON. LAST TIME MONEY RAISED HELPED PLANT TREES AND BUY GRASS NEAR THE NEW REASTAURANTS. THE FAT CITY MARKETPLACE CONTINUES UNTIL 9:00 AND ORGANIZERS SAY THEY PLAN TO HOST ONE ON THE SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH... NOW UNTIL THE SPRING. STILL TO COME AT 5: WHAT BREAST